Pelican gets the gold star again for making the most sense. Men are not the oppressors they once were. It's now more a matter of corporate patronage. I have three young daughters (and three sons) including a teenager, and they're smart kids, but they're no match for the market. It is consumer culture now that makes females as vacuous as they were (appear to have been) in the fifties (before my time, happily). In a brilliant coup, the corporate paedophiles have managed to groom their charges with the notion that they "are" empowered--and the poor things strut their wares with such innocent conviction! It really is hard to believe that women did such a turn about face.
I became a widower btw when my then four kids were 1, 3, 5 and 6. And sorry ladies, but it was a breeze looking after them, and studying full-time, compared to the long hours I worked previously.
The sexes are much more equal these days--because gender is trumped by consumerism

SJF: “Although women still face a lot of social and cultural inequality, virtually all the legal and political discriminations against women have been lifted, so the term ‘oppression’ is no longer a part of feminist rhetoric.”

Nina: “After all, we can hardly claim that women have achieved equality - in the corporate world or anywhere else - when their bodies are still being policed and their freedom is still being suppressed.”

I don’t know, but suppression of freedom sounds more than a little oppressive to me. So much for the “anti-feminist ventriloquists … putting this word in feminist mouths”.

Maybe we’re really talking about other countries with which we should obviously be at war as we speak. Can’t imagine anyone in Australia suppressing Nina from showing off her booty in a swimsuit, and neither can I imagine it for the three quarters of Aussie womanhood, that really shouldn’t. Doubt it would feature highly on an obstacle list prepared by Gail Kelly or Julia Gillard.

So what are the feminists doing while the likes of Gail and Julia strut their stuff – fretting over contestant responses to feminist questions at a miss universe beauty pageant.

Pathetic!

Ah cries of "racism" in response to suggestion of "Moslems over-running our country."
Racism, one term that has been overused, abused, misused, and misconstrued - as does Nina in her little outburst. Honey - "Moslem" is used to describe a follower of the Islamic faith or aspects of that religion. "Moslem" is not a race.

Like it or not ONE primary role of both sexes of the human species is to reproduce. It is a primal urge felt by most of us at some stage. Note "most of us". One size does not fit all. Feminism is about choices - and women making their own. If some choose to be breeders and homemakers that's fine. If some choose to be career oriented - that's fine. And every woman in between is OK too, provided she is content with her choices

Equality? Basically a word that means different things to different people.

SJF: “Although women still face a lot of social and cultural inequality,

I strongly believe that even if people like SJF, had everything they wanted, they would still beleive that life was full of inequality for women.

Because looking through the belief filter, of inequality, inequality will only be seen.

Research show that around 30% of mothers engage in what is know as maternal gatekeeping and that they inhibit father involvement with the children,

<most don't even realize their actions may be placing obstacles in the way. They, themselves, may be limiting the amount of their husbands' involvement,">

<Some women discourage their husbands' involvement by redoing tasks, criticizing, creating unbending standards or demeaning their efforts to protect authority in the home>

Any talk about equality needs to include the examination of female behaviour. To only look at and examining male behaviour, distorts the whole thing.

Our society functions because rules and regulations set boundaries on the excesses of human behaviour.

There has been talk about women, drinking in previous male bars, yet right now we have gyms that are female only, very similar to female only areas in radical muslim countries. A gay club recently won the right to exclude men.

so where is the equality in the above actions?

The CEO of the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission supporting the legalising of discrimination against white men would take the cake.

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/a_licence_to_despise/

http://ozconservative.blogspot.com/2008/12/herald-sun-columnist-time-to-get-rid-of.htmlhttp://ozconservative.blogspot.com/2008/12/herald-sun-columnist-time-to-get-rid-of.html

If white men are are numerous, influential and dangerous as believed by feminists, how can the CEO Dr Helen Szoke Equal Opportunity Commission get away with that?

Some patriarchy, they cannot even defend themselves into an organised protest.

pelican,

'Having grown up on a diet of Germaine Greer, Naomi Wolf, Anne Summers, Susan Mitchell I find I am in a strange world'

No doubt! That must have given you indigestion. I think you need a more balanced diet;-)

BTW: I can never get one of you femme fatales to answer about what you think of Germaine's book of naked little boys. Or even just her quote when promoting her book; 'A woman of taste is a pederast — boys rather than men.' :-)

Seeing as you grew up on a diet consisting of a woman who is a self professed pederast, how does it fit in with your distaste at the sexualisation of children?